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After 12 seasons in the National Hockey League — and back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017 — Justin Schultz is taking his talents overseas. The 34-year-old signed a one-year contract with HC Lugano in Switzerland's top league, The Athletic's Chris Johnston confirmed on Wednesday.
“As reported recently, Justin Schultz was searching for a unique opportunity in the later stages of his career,” reported Johnston. “He's found that with HC Lugano in Switzerland and signed a contract for the remainder of the year.”
HC Lugano's general manager Hnat Domenichelli also confirmed the signing on Wednesday.
“Justin is a two-way defender. We are confident that his experience can help us in the second half of the season,” said Domenichelli in the official release.
Schultz is expected to arrive in Switzerland as soon as the process for his work permit has been completed. The long-time NHL defenseman spent the last two campaigns with the Seattle Kraken; he scored 14 goals and 60 points in that span, averaging over 17 minutes of time on ice over 143 regular-season contests.
Originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the second-round of the 2008 NHL Draft, Schultz has amassed 71 goals and 324 points in 745 regular-season games split between the Kraken, Penguins, Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers.
Justin Schultz still has some gas left in the tank
It's certainly surprising that Schultz didn't land with another NHL team for the 2024-25 season, as he's proven that he still has some offensive game. It's unknown whether the move to Europe was due to lack of opportunity in North America, or if the veteran was just looking for a change of pace.
A native of Kelowna, British Columbia, Schultz spent two full seasons with the Westside Warriors in the British Columbia Hockey League before commiting to the NCAA's University of Wisconsin in 2009. He was excellent for the Badgers over three campaigns, chipping in 40 goals and 113 points in 121 regular-season games.
Schultz began his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers in 2012, playing nearly four seasons in Alberta before being traded to the Penguins in February of 2016. That's the best thing that happened to Schultz in his career, as he helped Sidney Crosby and the Pens go back-to-back in 2016 and 2017. Pittsburgh took down San Jose in six games in 2016, and beat Nashville in the same number a year later.
In 2016-17, Schultz put together his best-ever NHL showing, appearing in 78 games and hitting career highs across the board with 12 goals and 51 points. He continued that success into the postseason, scoring four goals and 13 points in 21 games as the Penguins won their second consecutive title.
Although age has caught up to Schultz, he's proven that he's still a capable professional defenseman. It'll be interesting to see how he performs with HC Lugano in Switzerland — and whether he'll get another shot to play in the NHL in the future.
